Recently, Professor Garth Rockcastle was in Frederick to speak with a small group of folks about some ideas and principles that could be helpful in advancing innovation and redevelopment initiatives of underutilized or neglected properties in and around Frederick.

The audience was so impressed and motivated that, almost immediately, an effort was begun to get him back here quickly, and put him in front of a larger audience!

No stranger to Frederick, Garth was happy to come back, and his presentation, entitled “Frederick: A Golden Opportunity to Regenerate our City,” will take place on Wednesday, February 1, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

In addition to catching a great presentation, attendees also get the bonus benefit of seeing the newly opened McClintock’s Distillery in its restored historic building near Carroll Creek in downtown Frederick.

Professor Garth Rockcastle is an architect, an academic and a re-constituter of found material. As an architect his primary focus has been on adaptively reusing derelict buildings and on facilities for the arts, art education and creative living.

Join us in learning how Frederick can leverage its heritage to re-generate a place for the community and its people through the adaptive re-use of existing and historic structures.

“I think of myself as a collaborator of means, methods, and materials, and with/for the people I admire. I am fortunate to have been given much, able to work hard, and to be able to see before most do. I am drawn to series and types, enjoy riddles and narratives, and prefer flexibility and dynamism to the monumental and iconic. I am most humbled by the sheer magnitude of the macro and the profound intricacy of the micro. I believe, when we are at our best, we can only simulate the wonder of each.”

As founding principal of Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle Architects, MSR, he has completed over 100 projects in 17 states and two in Europe. As an academic he has been a professor at two public universities teaching design, theory and professional practice, while having taken his turn as the Head of Architecture at the University of Minnesota and Dean of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland.

Garth Rockcastle is a fascinating speaker, and this will be a cool event!

• The new College of Media Arts and Design for Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, an adaptive reuse of a 145,000 square foot 1970’s office building;

• Carleton College Interdisciplinary Art Lab in Northfield, MN, from a 180,000 square foot former public middle school (1930-1960);

• Open Book: A literary and book arts center in Minneapolis, from a 65,000 square foot grouping of old commercial buildings…

• The University of Minnesota Regis Center for Art, a new 155,000 square foot complex on the West Bank campus.

Garth collaborates regularly with practicing artists on his projects, including Thomas Rose, Karen Wirth, and Andrew Leicester. His particular approach to the adaptive re-use of existing and historic structures is also a research and writing focus with many articles and essays on the topic.

Author Spotlight

Alan Feinberg

Alan Feinberg, RA, AICP is a long-time community planner, an urban designer and, in the last decade, has been a "community instigator" in Frederick County, which includes being the founder of East Founder Rising.